In the field of roofing construction, one of the most popular and sought-after coverings is tile. A tile roof is a roofing system comprising a plurality of individual tiles made of fired clay, or, more recently a composite material. Tiles for such roofing construction are shaped and arranged on a roof to lie in overlapping fashion so as to completely cover a roof in a manner that rainwater will drain from one tile to another off the roof area.
Because tiles are rigid, three-dimensional shapes, intimate fit between one tile and another in an overlapping arrangement is less than perfect. For the same reason, sealing and protecting interfaces between one surface area on a roof and another, such as ridges and valleys, is often a problem. Sealing and finishing ridges is of particular importance, and is the subject of the present patent application. The ridges are the locations on a roof here opposite pitches of the roof meet at the top. Typically, a ridge-board or ridge-nailer, as it is sometimes termed, is installed along the length of a ridge and separates uppermost rows of tiles on either side after the tiles are installed. The ridge nailer projects above the height of tile on each side of the ridge, and is used in many instances for adding a ridge seal before cap tiles are placed on the ridge.
A persistent problem with developing and manufacturing ridge seals, which are typically relatively thin plastic moldings, is that roof pitches vary widely, and it is often necessary to make several different models of ridge seals to accommodate the range of pitches that may be encountered. Another problem is that it is desirable that the lower edges of ridge seals conform to the shape of adjacent tiles and firmly and intimately contact the tiles below the ridge line, to effectively bar wind and water from entering the ridge area under the cap tiles.
Still another problem proceeds from the fact that the cap tiles lie on the adjacent, repeating peaks across adjacent tiles, leaving very apparent openings under the cap tiles. A practice much used before the advent of plastic molded ridge seals has been to fill these openings with concrete. This practice is termed mudding-in in the art. The appearance of mudding in is typically desirable to homeowners, but is not efficient, is time-consuming, and is also less than durable. Over time the concrete used chips away, and may slide down the tiles creating a debris problem, may clog drains, and may even pose a safety hazard.
What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus for ridge sealing a tiled roof that is more universally applicable to varying pitches, more easily applied, more resistant to UV exposure, stronger, and more effective in sealing the ridges. Such a system would cut roofing costs by eliminating otherwise required labor, and increase longevity of a one-time tile installation without adding to maintenance time and cost.